From Genesis to Revelation: A Non-Stop, 90-Hour Bible Reading Is Underway Outside the U.S. Capitol — Here’s Why

More than 1,000 people will flock to the U.S. Capitol this week to participate in 90 continuous hours of Bible reading. The event, held annually, features non-stop reading of the Judeo-Christian scriptures — from Genesis, to Revelation.

Organized by the Rev. Michael Hall, the 28th annual U.S. Capitol Bible Reading Marathon began Sunday night at 6 p.m. at the west front of the Capitol building, with Genesis 1:1. The effort will conclude on Thursday, May 4, with the reading of Revelation 22.

“It’s a Judeo-Christian event and we certainly believe in the power of the written word of God, the Bible,” Rev. Hall told Faithwire on Monday. “We come here to celebrate reading the word of God, but also to celebrate our First Amendment rights.”

The faith event coincides with the National Day of Prayer on May 4, a separate event in which predominantly Christian organizations and groups enourage Americans to invoke God. Throughout the four-day Bible reading period, around 1,500 people will read the scriptures from a podium positioned outside the Capitol Building.

These individuals, who will each read one chapter during the night and the day, come from “diverse cultures, ages, denominations, races, languages and political parties,” the U.S. Capitol Bible Reading Marathon website proclaims.

Some people sign up ahead of time to fill in the reading schedule, while others jump in at the last minute. Hall even said that his team has Bibles available in 100 languages, allowing visitors from other countries to participate in the marathon in their own native tongues.

“Oftentimes, they read and they have tears in their eyes, because they don’t have that freedom [in their countries],” he said. “It’s a very precious freedom.”

Thank you for being God’s provision to make our participation in another U.S. Capitol Bible Reading Marathon possible! pic.twitter.com/21KeA3MVAo

The Bible reading event serves a variety of purposes: It honors biblical scripture, it puts the First Amendment into practice — combining “speech, assembly and religion” — and it unites denominations around history’s most beloved and influential book.

“All we do is try to bring people together around reading the Bible — that’s it,” Hall told Faithwire, noting that there is no political element to the event. “That’s our total purpose.”